Major Gifts Director - WNO

About The Kennedy Center

"I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." - President John F. Kennedy

The Kennedy Center is the nation's cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra.

At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law.

Mission Statement: As America's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across the United States and around the world, connecting the greatest living artists with audiences of every stripe, no matter their background. We welcome all Americans and creators and visitors from across the globe to discover, experience, learn about, be inspired by, and engage with the arts.

Why Join Us

We offer a total rewards package to all full-time employees to include:

• Staff offers for discount tickets
• Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment)
• Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA)
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA

Pay Details

The Kennedy Center strives to design equitable compensation programs. The projected salary range for this position is $130,000 - $150,000, commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package. This is the targeted range of possible compensation for this role at the time of posting. This range may be modified in the future. Base pay within the range is ultimately determined by a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience as it relates to the position qualifications and responsibilities.

Job Description

The Washington National Opera (WNO) Director of Major Gifts (DMG) reports directly to the WNO Managing Director of Advancement. This new position will oversee a team of three major gifts officers and an assistant manager of individual giving, and works closely with WNO leadership and Board of Trustees. The WNO Director of Major Gifts and the WNO Major Gifts team are also part of the larger Kennedy Center Development group, which works collaboratively to assist each area in advancing their assigned goals, while also helping to achieve results for the entire institution.

The WNO DMG is directly responsible for managing a sizable portfolio of major Opera donors, including leadership-level contributors assigned to this portfolio, as well as prospects whom the DMG will be expected to identify and develop.

Under the DMG's creative and strategic leadership, the Major Gifts team will be expected to establish and achieve annual contributed income goals for WNO, inclusive of aspirational growth, and support special campaigns, including a seven-year, WNO 70^th Anniversary Campaign, the purpose of which is to increase annual giving and grow the WNO Endowment and other special funds. In concert with WNO leadership, the DMG will guide the Major Gifts team in achieving its goals through the thoughtful identification, research, planning, cultivation, solicitation, and management of the individuals in their portfolios. The DMG will play a large role in ensuring a collaborative culture that will also help identify opportunities for professional development for the staff.

The entire WNO Development department, supported by Kennedy Center Special Events, is also involved in the fundraising and administrative aspects of WNO's annual gala, and the Major Gifts team additionally organizes cultivation events throughout the year designed to engage new prospects, encourage increased commitments, and enrich donor involvement. The DMG participates in shaping the gala and oversees the Major Gifts team's involvement in its cultivation activities and post-event follow-through, tracking costs and ensuring an effective result.

The ideal candidate manages their time, resources, and workload to maximize productivity and financial results; exercises discretion; has proven success managing a high-end portfolio of individual donors; is entrepreneurial, creative, self-driven, and responsive to donor/prospects needs and interests; has exceptional verbal and written communication skills; is understanding and comfortable with complex internal and external relationships; is flexible and willing to switch gears as new opportunities arise that could advance the mission and goals of the Opera; and appreciates the value of collaborating across a matrixed organization to make the best use of the expertise of other departments to effect positive change and achieve shared goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and grow a sizeable portfolio of Trustees and other high-level donors and prospects by managing and stewarding their philanthropic engagement, growth and involvement, and by encouraging and developing their appreciation for and enjoyment of the art form to enrich their opera-going experience and strengthen their financial commitment.
• In concert with the Managing Director of Advancement, Director of Individual Giving and Operations, and the Major Gifts team, the DMG helps establish WNO's annual fundraising goals grounded in well-considered realities combined with strategic planning and aspirational growth.
• Meets regularly with the WNO Major Gifts team and leadership to creatively strategize and identify opportunities to secure ongoing and new major gifts and sponsorships.
• Collaborates with other Kennedy Center fundraising teams (e.g., membership, corporate, Circles, etc.) to deepen relationships and identify opportunities for cross-selling.
• Provides leadership, guidance, and feedback to the Major Gifts team to ensure a high-performing collaborative working group that meets or exceeds goals.
• Guides the team in best practices in all areas of fundraising, including written and verbal communications, prospect research, proposals, meetings, events, and donor engagement, and helps positively elevate skills as needed.
• Helps define and manage the annual gala and cultivation events.
• With the Managing Director of Advancement, co-leads weekly Major Gifts team meetings and strategic planning sessions, and co-leads or helps organize periodic staff trainings and professional development workshops.
• Works with the Managing Director of Advancement and Director of Individual Giving and Operations to evaluate and implement long-term goals and strategies, and to foster a team centered around clarity, kindness, and people-first management.
• Actively promotes a collegial and collaborative working relationship among Kennedy Center and WNO colleagues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum 7 years in development, with proven experience managing a portfolio of major donors and with at least 3 of those years in a supervisory capacity overseeing a high-performance major gifts team that met or exceeded shared goals.
• Knowledge of broad fundraising principles, standard accounting procedures, development trends, prospect research, non-profit management, and Boards is essential. An understanding of large cultural institutions is beneficial.
• Experience and comfort managing Board contributions and working with Trustees on goal-setting, donor cultivation, and strategic planning.
• Experience developing and implementing successful fundraising strategies in a timely fashion and with flexibility as donor interests or organizational priorities shift.
• Self-motivated, creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial. Ability to delegate, multi-task, and deftly interact with a variety of personalities, internally and externally.
• Ability and confidence to work without close supervision, to foresee development trends, and to proactively participate in strategy meetings.
• Ability to collaborate across a matrixed organization to make best use of the expertise of other departments to effect positive change and achieve shared goals.
• Superior organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate persuasively, in person and in writing.
• Experience with Tessitura and/or other CRM systems.
• Interest in and knowledge of music, opera, and the arts is helpful.
• Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area. Relocation assistance is not provided.
• Candidate must be willing to work onsite.

Additional Information

• Working outside of normal business hours (evenings and weekends) is expected during the performance seasons, primarily during WNO performances and events, and to assist with Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra events if needed. Other than when out of office at donor meetings or for other business, normal hours are in-office.
• The WNO/Kennedy Center environment is a large, vibrant, faced-paced setting that values creativity, initiative, efficiency, diversity, and teamwork.

ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

Led by General Director Timothy O'Leary and internationally-acclaimed stage director and WNO Artistic Director, Francesca Zambello, Washington National Opera celebrates its 70^th anniversary in 2026. Each season, the $24 million company produces five innovative mainstage productions-from the classics to the rare to the contemporary-and an annual holiday opera for families. Since 2012, the company's much-lauded American Opera Initiative has commissioned and produced 36 twenty-minute operas, three each year, from emerging composers and librettists, and 7 hour-long operas, 6 of which have subsequently been seen at companies across the U.S. WNO's Cafritz Young Artists program is considered one of the finest resident training and career advancement programs in the world, offering singers on the verge of international careers intensive coaching, career guidance, and-importantly-supporting roles in WNO mainstage productions and leading roles in the American Opera Initiative world premieres. WNO and the Kennedy Center annually celebrate the Marian Anderson Award given to a young American singer who has achieved initial success in opera, oratorio, or recital repertory with an annual recital, and WNO, in concert with Kennedy Center Education, oversee the WNO Opera Institute, a summer training program for high school singers. WNO further extends its mission into the community with programs throughout the year in churches, community centers, at the Library of Congress and other major institutions, with the tech community, and with teens at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.